(Radio Iowa) – NASA is releasing a video of Iowa native astronaut Raja Chari and four of his crewmates aboard the International Space Station as they prepare for Thanksgiving in orbit. Chari, who grew up in Cedar Falls, says he’ll be keeping alive a tradition with his wife and kids tomorrow (Thursday) even though he’s some 250 miles up and moving at nearly five miles a second.

The 44-year-old Air Force colonel and three other astronauts lifted off atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 10th, two weeks ago today.

Raja Chari (Photo via nasa.gov)

Daily exercise is vital in the weightless environment of the space station and previous residents have used this holiday to re-create a 5-K run after their meal, since they can’t easily go outside for a walk.

In the video aired on NASA-TV, Chari appears upside down as he sorts through the clear plastic packets of freeze-dried food which they’ll fill with hot water for their Thanksgiving dinner. Chari and German crewmember Matthias Maurer, an astronaut with the European Space Agency, discovered a treasure trove of edible goodies.

This is Chari’s first space mission and the plan is for him and his crew to be aloft six months.

See the full video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9K66Nb8Jw9Q&t=137s

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Supreme Court rules against a group of inmates at the Newton prison who said their constitutional rights were violated by a delay in getting sex offender treatment need to be considered for parole. The ruling says the Iowa Department of Corrections has not postponed treatment in order to delay parole. It says it is a numbers problem where there are more male sex offenders in Iowa’s prison system than spots available for treatment.

Newton Correctional Facility (Iowa DOC photo)

The ruling notes the Corrections Department has been actively addressing the need for sex offender treatment by increasing the number of classes and counselors. And says prioritizing the admission to treatment based on the tentative discharge date is a reasonable way to decide when a prisoner gets admitted to treatment.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Medicare sign-up period is once again underway, and that means scams related to Medicare are making a come back. The Atlantic Police Department, Tuesday, issued a warning to residents about a Medicare scam, whereby the person calling pretends to be with Medicare and already has the name and phone number of the potential victim. The caller then reads off a Medicare number for the potential victim to verify. A-PD says “This is a bogus number and they ask you to read them your actual Medicare number.”

The scammer threatens the potential victims’ Medicare will be denied if you don’t provide them with the number. “The caller has been trying to use these scare tactics to get your personal information,” according to Chief Dave Erickson. “They tell the potential victim that they need to replace their current paper card with a plastic card with a magnetic strip.”

Erickson warns “Do not give out any personal information over the phone or computer.”

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says no injuries were reported following a collision Tuesday evening, in Elliott. The accident happened a little before 6-p.m. at 110th and Elm Streets. Officials say one vehicle was stopped in the westbound lane and preparing to turn left to head south, when the second vehicle struck the first from behind. Deputies determined the second driver was distracted by the use of their cell phone, prior to the collision. Because both drivers were minors, their names were withheld by the Sheriff’s Department.

Authorities remind drivers to “please don’t use your handheld devices while driving, and to always remain aware of your fellow travelers and yourselves.”

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Officials with the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce, Tuesday, announced this year’s annual Scrooge Contest brought in a record amount of food and cash, with contestants raising the money and collecting non-perishable food items for the Atlantic Food Pantry. This year there were 2,299 items of food donated and $24,177.25 in cash.

The recording-breaking year was capped-off with a last minute donation from Atlantic Bottling Company. Ray Paulin with Atlantic Bottling was named this year’s Scrooge. Paulin collected 401 food items and $8,621 in cash (total points 43,506). Tom Cappel, with Deter Motor Company and the Atlantic Fire Department, came in second with 933 food items and $8,419.28 in cash (total points 43,029.40). Kelli Anstey, with Fareway, came in third with 965 food items and $7,136.97 in cash (total points 36,649.85).

Last year the four Scrooge Contestants brought in $23,348.10. Ray Paulin will be the Grand Marshal of the Lighted Parade 6-p.m. Dec. 4th, in downtown Atlantic. The Scrooge contest was organized in 2002, by the late Eleanor Hoover.

(Radio Iowa) – The teenagers accused of murdering a high school Spanish teacher in Fairfield are seeking a reduction in their bonds and release from jail as they await a trial. Sixteen-year-olds Jeremy Goodale and Willard Miller each face a first degree murder charge in the killing of Nohema Graber, whose body was found in a Fairfield park earlier this month. Prosecutor Scott Brown says based on the factors in the case, bond at the least should be kept at a million dollars each or even raised to two million.

“The investigation in this case has revealed that the defendant, along with the co-defendant, has engaged in a extremely brutal murder,” Brown said. Attorneys for the teenagers say they don’t have the means to flee and, if they’re released, their families will monitor them. Christine Branstad is an attorney for Miller.

“My client’s parents and extended family are willing to ensure 24/7 monitoring,” Branstad said, “are willing to provide different residences at which he can live, they’re willing to restrict any access to electronics.” Prosecutors say the families are not capable of monitoring the teens as the crime was committed while the 16-year-olds were living at home.

Judge Joel Yates heard the lawyers’ arguments in court yesterday (Tuesday). He plans to issue written rulings next week.

(Reporting by Iowa Public Radio’s Kate Payne)

(Radio Iowa) – A western Iowa farmer who announced in late May that he planned to run for the U.S. Senate in 2022 has ended his campaign. Dave Muhlbauer, of Manilla, is a former Crawford County Supervisor who describes himself as an old-school farmer-labor Democrat. His father and grandfather were state legislators. Muhlbauer’s nephew died in an accident earlier this year and Muhlbauer says the tragedy has had a devastating effect on his family.

Muhlbauer says after a period of reflection with his family and close friends, he’s decided he cannot continue his campaign for the U.S. Senate. Muhlbauer was the first Democrat to announce they hoped to challenge Republican Chuck Grassley’s bid for an eighth term in the U.S. Senate.

Former Iowa Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer of Cedar Rapids, retired Admiral Michael Franken of Sioux City, Dr. Glenn Hurst of Minden and Bob Krauss, who has run unsuccessfully three times before, all say they intend to seek the Democratic Party’s 2022 nomination for the U.S. Senate.